Moskvina, Julija

Manufacturing companies around the world, large and small, in developed and developing regions, tend to suffer from the inefficiencies of a cost-simulated, early pricing process for new products. Often, however, solutions to the complex challenges of the manufacturing industry lie at the intersection of social science and technology, where intelligent manufacturing plays a crucial role. Providing a deep review of innovative scientific technologies and knowledge, this edited collection delves into cost-cutting technologies in manufacturing planning processes that combine with social technologies to stimulate the development of organisational innovations. Chapters explore the solutions that artificial intelligence, data science, and knowledge management systems provide in order to resolve the problems posed by early cost estimation. Drawing on detailed examples from the furniture manufacturing businesses, they offer a new way of industrial thinking with transformative implications for the greater manufacturing industry.

The use of information technologies not only in production processes, but also in pricing, can increase the value created by companies; however, the penetration of the technologies at the company level are still insufficiently analyzed. Paper aims to reveal IT-related prerequisites for the change towards advanced price estimation process of customized products. Based on the results of a quantitative survey of Baltic furniture manufacturing companies, the extent and main applications of technology penetration and their links to price estimation practices and company performance were identified. A model of key factors of IT adoption in furniture production was developed.

Make-to-order manufacturing is specific in the need to combine personalisation of customised products with endeavours to reduce costs to the level as low as in mass production. Cost estimation, which usually takes place at the same time as the price-setting process, is a crucial phase for the Make-to-order businesses. Analysis of profitable customised furniture manufacturing enterprises brought up a question about the scale of implementation of smart manufacturing solutions in the cost-estimation process. The question was tackled by carrying out an evaluation of the cost estimation process from the point of view of manufacturing data management. To identify advanced technological solutions adopted in customised manufacturing and find out whether producers benefit from the collected data, an interview-based qualitative analysis was made. The total duration of the conducted interviews of representatives of all organisational levels as well as independent experts and external IT managers exceeds 22 hours. Processing of the interview data by means of NVivo software package allowed a description and a comparative analysis of the content, collection and administration of the cost-related data. The analysis revealed wide usage of modern information technologies in make-to-order manufacturing including the use of databases and conventional algorithms for data analysis and administration. However the problems were identified in all stages: data storage is fragmental and messy, arbitrary decisions often take place instead of data analysis, data transfer is complicated due to different units of calculation and data administration takes too much labour input. Most of the barriers make-to-order manufactures face in data collection, storage, analysis, transfer and administration are of the nature of the organisational structure and capabilities. Low motivation to upgrade the cost- estimation data administration capabilities is partly predetermined by the auspicious situation in the local market, where production costs may be reduced by, for example, cutting down labour costs.

Personalization of the products became a growing trend and further expansion of customized production is predicted. So far, analysis of pricing process and pricing orientation of customized manufacturers operating in individual sectors has been rarely done. The analysis of the pricing process from the point of view of the make-to-order manufacturer operating in the furniture production segment is performed during the research. The present article contributes to knowledge about pricing by specifying the pricing trends emerging in customized manufacturing in the context of the present scientific resources and extends understanding of price integrity in the production chain.

Make-to-order manufacturing is specific in the need to combine personalisation of customised products with endeavours to reduce costs to the level as low as in mass production. Cost estimation, which usually takes place at the same time as the price-setting process, is a crucial phase for the Make-to-order businesses. Analysis of profitable customised furniture manufacturing enterprises brought up a question about the scale of implementation of smart manufacturing solutions in the cost-estimation process. The question was tackled by carrying out an evaluation of the cost estimation process from the point of view of manufacturing data management. To identify advanced technological solutions adopted in customised manufacturing and find out whether producers benefit from the collected data, an interview-based qualitative analysis was made. The total duration of the conducted interviews of representatives of all organisational levels as well as independent experts and external IT managers exceeds 22 hours. Processing of the interview data by means of NVivo software package allowed a description and a comparative analysis of the content, collection and administration of the cost- related data. The analysis revealed wide usage of modern information technologies in make-to-order manufacturing including the use of databases and conventional algorithms for data analysis and administration. However the problems were identified in all stages: data storage is fragmental and messy, arbitrary decisions often take place instead of data analysis, data transfer is complicated due to different units of calculation and data administration takes too much labour input. Most of the barriers make-to-order manufactures face in data collection, storage, analysis, transfer and administration are of the nature of the organisational structure and capabilities. Low motivation to upgrade the cost-estimation data administration capabilities is partly predetermined by the auspicious situation in the local market, where production costs may be reduced by, for example, cutting down labour costs.

Despite the economic growth and favourable situation in national labour market in 2004-2008 in Lithuania several groups of population still had restricted access to employment. The period of economic recession has revealed sore problems of vulnerable groups in the labor market. Based on statistical data and the research the dynamics of the situation of disabled, youth and older people situation in the labor market are examined in this article as well as the main obstacles to their participation. The increased number of the research aimed to analyse the situation of vulnerable groups in Lithuania and still persisting severe problems in national labour market stimulated to inventory recently cumulated knowledge about the groups that are at the high risk for unemployment. The research review covers studies conducted in the period between 2004 and 2010. It includes surveys carried out by competent researchers by the request of public authorities or other concerned authorities as well as doctoral dissertations. The groups of socially vulnerable people most often analysed in the labour market in Lithuania include the following: disabled, youth, and older people. The review showed that special research on labour market risk groups is the valuable search of information, whereas the shortage of statistical information has been noticed in the country. Further examination of the issues of the mechanisms to integrate and reintegrate the vulnerable groups into labour market is purposeful. The article was prepared under the research project “The impact of labour market policies into employment situation during the different economic cycles“ (No. Sin-04/2010) that is implemented within the frame of national science program “The social challenges to national security” which is carried out by the Research Council of Lithuania.

Lietuvos darbo biržos organizuojamas profesinis mokymas ir neformalusis švietimas yra viena iš svarbių priemonių, leidžiančių bedarbiams įgyti kvalifikaciją, kompetencijas ir taip pagerinti savo įsidarbinimo galimybes. Baigusių profesinio mokymo ir neformaliojo švietimo programas asmenų apklausos yra svarbus informacijos šaltinis vertinant tokius socialinę naudą apibūdinančius veiksnius: mokymo metu suteiktą teorinį ir praktinį pasirengimą, dalyvavimo profesiniame mokyme poveikį asmeninių ir profesinių galimybių vertinimui, tarpusavio santykiams su aplinkiniais, profesinio mokymo įtaką įsidarbinimui. Tačiau būtina atsižvelgti ir į platesnį profesinio mokymo priemonių poveikį socialiniams ir ekonominiams reiškiniams. Lietuvoje atliktų profesinio mokymo efektyvumo vertinimo tyrimų apžvalga leido išskirti profesinio mokymo poveikio šalies darbo rinkai ir ekonominiam bei socialiniam vystymuisi veiksnius.

Lanksčios ir saugios darbo rinkos koncepcija yra aktyviai diskutuojama visose Europos šalyse. Lietuvoje pastaruoju metu svarstoma lanksčios ir saugios darbo rinkos galimybės bei veiksmai, kurie sudarytų sąlygas šią politiką įgyvendinti. Straipsnio tikslas – išnagrinėti lanksčios darbo rinkos esamas saugumo galimybes atsižvelgiant į konkrečias socialines išmokas. Straipsnyje pateikiami Lietuvos Respublikos socialinės apsaugos ir darbo ministerijos 2008 m. užsakomojo taikomojo tyrimo „Darbo rinkos lankstumo ir užimtumo garantijų pusiausvyra formuojant integruotą požiūrį į užimtumo didinimą Lietuvoje“ rezultatai. Taikomi metodai – dokumentų ir pakartotinė statistinių duomenų analizė. Pagrindiniai rezultatai: nacionalinėms vyriausybėms įgyvendinant lanksčios ir saugios darbo rinkos priemones nėra jų konceptualinio pagrindo. Lietuvoje tik išmokant ligos ir motinystės (tėvystės) pašalpas garantuojama didelė buvusio darbo užmokesčio kompensacija. Tuo tarpu nedarbo išmoka, pensijos, socialinė pašalpa – pakankamai mažos, menkai apsaugančios nuo skurdo. Tai neskatina užimtumo ir neatitinka lanksčios bei saugios darbo rinkos mainų principo.